Fredericksburg Battle

Battle Overview: Fought on December 11-15, 1862, in Fredericksburg Virginia, the Battle of Fredericksburg was the Civil War’s first battle that involved urban combat. It had nearly 200,000 soldiers present between both sides, meaning this is the highest concentrated battle in the civil war. Leader of the Federal (Union) side was Ambrose E. Burnside, and the leader of the confederates was Robert E. Lee. The Union's plan was to use 60,000 men to take the southern flank of Prospect Hill, more specifically Marye's Heights,while holding the south in urban areas and then flushing them out.
The south positioned behind strategically placed stone walls at Marye's Heights, giving them the high ground and a near impenetrable wall of fire over …show more content…
On the Union side, General Ambrose Burnside had just recently been made into the General of the Potomac Army.

Reasons for Union Loss: Miscommunication, The union needed pontoon bridges to cross the Rappahannock river, and due to miscommunication the bridge were delayed, giving the South time to be able to heavily fortify positions on Marye’s Heights. …show more content…
The Union Leader of the Potomac Army was George Mcclellan, and due to disagreements between him and president Lincoln, Lincoln offered Ambrose Burnside the position, which he declined twice, choosing to lead his own troops. But as soon as Mcclellan chose not to pursue the enemy into the south after the Union victory at Antietam, Lincoln lost his patience and took Mclellan out of the position and put Burnside as the Leader of the Potomac Army. The new leadership led to miscommunication in the battle of Fredericksburg, causing a Union defeat. After he lost he was replaced In January 1863, the president named Joseph Hooker to replace Burnside as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Fun Fact: General Burnside was famous for his particular style of facial hair, hence the term “Sideburn” was actually based off of